All artists are unknown at some time in their lives. An undiscovered Picasso or Michelangelo is lurking somewhere in the world, so why not Australia? Australia is a vast continent with a rich aboriginal art heritage that is currently breaking through the barriers of the art world with some astonishing discoveries. There is no lack of culture in Australia despite the continent's low population density. There is also no lack of artists, aboriginal or otherwise. This article will begin with aboriginal art and artists, to be followed by other artistic styles and artists in varying locales across Australia.
Aboriginal artists
There is no dearth of contemporary aboriginal art and artists. Some artists are well known in Australia, but the names remain unfamiliar to the rest of the world. This will change as serious collectors continue to add the arts of indigenous peoples to their collections. It is the art itself of most of these cultures that is of value, not the artists' names. The indigenous artists of Australia, however, are becoming known by name as their works continue to be exhibited throughout Australia and to a lesser extent throughout the world. These artists can definitely be considered as emerging artists and are sure to make their mark in the art world eventually.
A key gallery to view aboriginal art is the Kate Owen Gallery in Sydney. The gallery offers exhibitions of art by aboriginal artists with exhibits that change often to show the extensive collection of the gallery. The gallery consistently adds to their collection of aboriginal artists so there is always something new and exciting to discover, making it a fine place to begin a serious collection of indigenous Australian art.
Adelaide
The Adelaide Central Gallery, located within the Adelaide Central School of Art, is a well-known art gallery offering ever-changing programs that incorporate the school's annual graduate exhibition as well as featuring local artists and international artists in solo and group exhibitions year-round.
The Espionage Gallery also features local Australian and international artists, both known and unknown. The gallery features new exhibits every two to four weeks. These opening nights have become high points of Adelaide's cultural scene. The gallery began life focusing on graffiti and street art. It has evolved from that genre moving toward a full spectrum including illustration, oil and acrylic painting, photography, sculpture and works in ceramics and glass.
Canberra
The Beaver Gallery encourages local artists to be part of the art world by reaching out to aspiring artists to exhibit their works within the many separate exhibition spaces, an area for temporary art displays, and the sculpture garden.
The ANU School of Art gallery, like so many art schools, regularly exhibits student art in painting, ceramic, photography and sculpture media as well as offering lectures, informal discussions and special exhibitions throughout the year.
Sydney
Besides the dynamic gallery for aboriginal art mentioned earlier, Sydney abounds with art venues featuring local artists. Sydney is the most metropolitan of the cities in Australia, with the largest population. Tourists and residents alike can find abundant cultural destinations to keep their minds and souls blissfully engaged for months. In most countries, the big cities are where you find the art museums and galleries housing art of famous artists past and present, and Sydney is no exception. But also like so many big cities, Sydney has its share of smaller galleries featuring local artists. One not to be missed is the Jeff Lebovic Gallery.
This gallery is considered to be New South Wales' most highly esteemed gallery of art. The gallery does feature historic artwork but also offers regularly scheduled temporary exhibits featuring modern paintings and prints by local artists.
Australia is a great country for the budding art collector of modest means to start a very promising and unique collection, as well as the art lover wishing to experience a vibrant, unusual art scene.